Can I get married in Portugal?
Yes: marriage is open to all, including same-sex and foreign couples. Same-sex marriage has been legal since 2010 (Law 9/2010), with the same regime as opposite-sex marriage. You can marry civilly (at the Civil Registry) or Catholic/concordatary (the 2004 Concordat) — both produce full civil effects, with the Catholic marriage transcribed into the civil registry. A preliminary process is done at any registry (or Civil Online) to check for impediments. Property regimes (by prenuptial agreement, or by default): community of acquired assets = default rule; there's also general community and separation of assets. In short: yes, civil or Catholic, with full effects.
📋 The rules
- Same-sex marriage: legal since 2010 (Law 9/2010)
- Civil or Catholic: both with full civil effects
- Preliminary process at the Registry (or online)
- Default regime: community of acquired assets
- Alternatives: general community or separation of assets
🔓 Exceptions
- Separation of assets compulsory if a spouse is 60+ or an urgent marriage
- Catholic marriage: nullity depends on review by a state court
- Foreigners: certificate of matrimonial capacity (apostille/translation)
⚠️ Penalties & fines
There's no "fine" — there are requirements and costs. Civil marriage costs about €120 and a prenuptial agreement ~€100 (standard) or ~€160 (custom), per the IRN table, updated yearly. Note some details: separation of assets is compulsory if either party is 60 or over or for an urgent marriage; and the nullity of a Catholic marriage, decided by a church tribunal, needs review by a state court to have civil effects. Unlike Brazil, the default regime in Portugal is community of acquired assets (not "partial community"), and the body is the Civil Registry (not a "cartório"). To marry: start the preliminary process at the Registry, gather the documents (and, if foreign, the capacity certificate), and choose the property regime if you don't want the default.
📎 Official sources
- Law 9/2010 — same-sex marriage →
- ePortugal — marrying / prenuptial agreement →
- 2004 Concordat — Catholic marriage →
❓ Frequently asked
Is same-sex marriage legal?
Yes. Same-sex marriage has been legal in Portugal since 2010, under Law 9/2010, with exactly the same regime as opposite-sex marriage. Same-sex couples have the same rights, including, since 2016, access to adoption.
What's the difference between civil and Catholic marriage?
Civil marriage takes place at the Civil Registry and Catholic marriage in church, under the Concordat. Both produce full civil effects. The Catholic marriage is then transcribed into the civil registry. In either case, the preliminary process is needed to check for impediments.
What's the default property regime?
If the parties don't choose another regime by prenuptial agreement, community of acquired assets applies. In this regime, assets acquired during the marriage are common, but each keeps their prior own assets. There's also general community and separation of assets, by choice.
Can foreigners marry in Portugal?
Yes. Foreigners can marry in Portugal, presenting a passport or residence title, a birth certificate and a certificate of matrimonial capacity from their home country, with apostille and translation where needed. The preliminary process checks there are no impediments to the marriage.
Are there cases where the property regime is compulsory?
Yes. Separation of assets is compulsory when one party is 60 or over, or for an urgent marriage. In those cases, community can't be chosen. Otherwise, the parties can freely choose the property regime by prenuptial agreement.
🔎 Common searches
What people search to land here:
- “same-sex marriage portugal”
- “civil or catholic marriage”
- “community of acquired assets regime”
- “preliminary marriage process registry”
- “foreigner marry portugal”
- “prenuptial agreement separation assets”